Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall moving through Loveland Wednesday

By Jessica Maher Reporter-Herald Staff Writer

Posted:
05/17/2013 02:01:16 PM MDT

Updated:
05/19/2013 08:40:40 PM MDT

Law enforcement agencies and veterans organizations from across the region the will join together next week -- along with an estimated 10,000 visitors -- in welcoming the Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall to Northern Colorado.

The wall, which carries the names of the 58,261 service members who died in the Vietnam War, will be on display for five days at the Veterans Plaza of Northern Colorado in Fort Collins' Spring Canyon Community Park. It's an event that Diggs Brown, president of the board of directors for the two-year-old Veterans Plaza, has been planning for the past year.

"There are six walls that travel the country, but to get one for Memorial Day is quite different," he said.

Of the six traveling walls, the one that will be escorted through Loveland into Fort Collins on Wednesday is the largest. At 320 feet long, it's 80 percent of the size of the memorial in Washington, D.C.

As the wall makes its way to Fort Collins, members of the public are encouraged to line the route. The Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association will escort the monument from Berthoud, along with officers from the Loveland Police Department, Larimer County Sheriff's Office, Fort Collins Police Services and the Berthoud Police Department. They'll start at the Berthoud exit off Interstate 25, through Main Street in Berthoud and then north on County Road 17, entering Loveland on Taft Avenue and traveling north to Horsetooth Road in Fort Collins.

"With something of this magnitude, it's turned into a multilevel task to bring the wall in," Brown said. "I'm glad that we booked this a year out, just because it's become much more complicated than I thought it would be, but in a good way."

In a news release, Loveland Police Sgt. Jameson Gartner said the wall will pass Centennial and North Lake parks in Loveland and residents are encouraged to utilize those parks for viewing.

Schedule of Events: Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall

May 22: Starting at 3:30 p.m., the wall will be escorted from the Berthoud exit through Loveland to Fort Collins. It will travel north in Loveland on Taft Avenue to Horsetooth Road in Fort Collins, where it will turn west and enter Spring Canyon Community Park.

May 23: Construction to begin at 8 a.m. in Spring Canyon Community Park. The wall will open to the public at approximately 4 p.m. and remain open 24 hours a day. Evening taps will be held at 7 p.m.

May 24: Evening taps at 7 p.m.

May 25: Memorial Day ceremony will begin at 11:30 a.m. Evening taps at 7 p.m.

May 26: Evening taps at 7 p.m. followed by a Q&A session with veterans.

Mat 27: Closing ceremony at 3 p.m.

The work will continue on Thursday morning, when members of the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association Iron Plains Chapter begin construction of the massive monument. It's expected to open to the public late Thursday afternoon, when volunteers from the community begin the task of reading every name on the wall out loud.

"They'll do it however long it takes," Brown said. "With 120 people reading at 20 minutes each, we think it will take approximately 30 hours."

Following the opening to the public and through Memorial Day, the wall will be open for public viewing 24 hours a day, with the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association volunteering to guard it around the clock.

Every evening at 7 p.m. while the wall is up, evening taps is scheduled. Tony DuMosch, who represents Loveland's American Legion Post 15 at the Larimer County Veterans Advisory Board, coordinated the evening taps, which will feature a different honor guard every night.

"Once I heard about this, I wanted to be a part of it," DuMosch said. "This is the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War -- I think that gives a different perspective for people."

Numerous veterans organizations from across the region -- from Estes Park to Greeley -- will take part in Saturday's official opening ceremonies.

"Volunteers are stepping up all over to help out," Brown said. "I'm just thrilled to death that the community is supporting this the way that they are."

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